It was 11PM, on the cusp of midnight,when a phone rang-a common karait had silently slithered into a home in Sahibganj.Hazari grabbed his torch and set off alone.Just a man,a bag and the kind of courage that most people only read about. This wasn’t the first time Hazari stared death in the eye,and it wouldn’t be the last.
In the secluded village of Rasulpur, where customs hold tight and folklore dances through the earthy lanes, lives a man whose mission is transforming lives- Jitendra Kumar Lal, known widely as Jitendra Hazari, has rescued over 1,150 registered snakes since 2014. But beyond the numbers lies a deeper story of passion, perseverance, and purpose.
Once a child fascinated by the street charm of snake performers and elephants, Hazari’s persepective shifted, when television brought Discovery Channel and National Geographic into his home, sowing the seeds of wildlife conservation in his heart.
His motivation intensified after witnessing tragic outcomes in his village, where snakebite victims were often taken to local faith-healers practicing “jhaad-phook"-ritualistic cleansing, instead of immediate medical care.A turning point came in the life of Hazari, back in 2021,on the day of Raksha Bandhan, when,a man lost his life after being bitten by a common karait, one of India’s most venomous snakes. Instead of rushing him to a hospital, his family relied on jhaad-phook — wasting precious time. By the time they sought medical help, it was too late. What could have been a night of celebration, soon turned into a tragedy rooted in ignorance and delay. Deeply affected, Hazari vowed to challenge superstitions with science and education.
Armed with a resilient academic background—including three M.A. degrees, a B.Ed, and an ongoing Ph.D from Tilkamanjhi University, Bhagalpur.—Hazari is proof that education and activism can go hand in hand. Despite battling fatty liver disease, he continues to rescue snakes, sometimes pushing through pain with the aid of injections that give him barely 20 minutes of relief.
His work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Hazari was honored by Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren during the 75th Van Mahotsav, and received a shawl of appreciation on Republic Day from district officials.
Yet, Hazari’s commitment extends far beyond snake rescues. A regular blood donor, especially for pregnant women, he also organizes clothing drives for tribal families and campaigns against food wastage by redistributing leftovers from events to orphanages and special schools. He encourages people to celebrate birthdays with underprivileged children, reminding everyone that compassion doesn’t need a stage.
Even more astonishing, Hazari once allowed a snake to bite him in a controlled setting, just to prove to a snakebite victim that survival is possible if panic is controlled and treatment is timely.
Whether it’s offering his number for remote snake identification or gifting children for spotting lizards instead of harming them, Hazari’s mission is clear: replace fear with awareness, superstition with science, and apathy with action.
At 35, Hazari is not seeking fame, but hopes to someday receive The President’s Award for rescuing over 1,000 snakes,a symbolic milestone for a man who has made wildlife conservation and social service his life’s calling. Receiving the President’s Award would earn him grace marks in state-level exams like JPSC and BPSC, improving his chances of securing a stable government job.
“Education never disappoints.It might be slow to arrive, but it never fails to fulfill.", he says. And through every rescue, lecture, and act of kindness, Jitendra Hazari proves it.